100 Fantasies Challenge: #1 Fic
Shoot, am I first?
Title: Swimming
Author: crumpeteer
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except two cats. I do own two cats.
Summary: Arthur accidentally runs into Gwen while swimming with some surprising results.
It was hot that particular summer. Training was miserable because of the heat, even for Arthur who truly did enjoy sparring. There was a certain thrill to doing something you were good at and knowing your body would instinctively react accordingly. After today's training though, all Arthur wanted to do was find the coolest place possible and never move again. He'd been more irritable with Merlin than normal and had finally sent him packing. The only thing Arthur could focus on was going to the nearby river. At least his clothes would be wet with cold water there rather than sweat. The secluded area of the river Arthur favored was particularly nice since it was shady, with giant rocks that were perfect for drying off later. If truth be told, Arthur liked being alone out there. Most people swam in one of the areas that had gravelly beaches when they turned the children loose and tried to cool down from the heat, but Arthur preferred the isolation.
After shucking off his boots and shirt, Arthur plunged into the blissfully cold water. One of the larger rocks a little ways down the river looked especially appealing. Remembering a rather nice pool on the other side of it, he ducked under water and swam upsteam, resurfacing only to find himself staring at a thoroughly startled Gwen sitting on the other side of his chosen rock, her feet dangling in the water.
"My lord," she said, her mouth gaping a little.
Arthur laughed out loud at her shocked expression, moving a little closer to get footing. Ever since his near death incident he'd started developing some interest in the shy lady's maid who had proven herself to be surprisingly plucky. Arthur shoved back the blond hair that had gotten plastered to his face.
"Seems we had the same idea," he said to Gwen, who looked thoroughly embarrassed and ready to bolt.
For her part, Gwen had been taking a moment to cool her feet in the river while out looking for berries. It had never crossed her mind that she might be faced with a soaking wet, very shirtless crown prince. A crown prince who didn't seem to notice her discomfort.
"You know, it works better when you're the whole way in the water," Arthur said.
Gwen gulped. Even with his hair favoring that of a drowned rat, a half naked, glistening wet Arthur was fairly impressive. Gwen felt the color rising to her face and she fought the urge to alternately stare and not look at him.
"I don't swim very well," she admitted.
Arthur ran a hand through his wet hair again.
"Your loss then," he said with a shrug, "though I doubt you'd ever be impulsive enough to go out swimming in the middle of nowhere anyway."
"What?" Gwen said, startled and vaguely offended.
"You don't seem the type to go plunging off into rivers is all I meant," he said non-chalantly.
"I'll have you know I'm very impulsive," Gwen said heatedly, her chin rising a fraction. A smug grin was tugging at the corners of Arthur's mouth.
"Made potatoes instead of corn one day? Used the blue sheets instead of the white? Heaven forbid, had dessert before dinner?" he said wickedly.
Gwen scowled and aimed a spray of water at Arthur's head with her foot. Before she could react in horror to what she'd just done, she was hit by a wall of water courtesy of Arthur. There was a momentary pause as the two combatants sized each other up, then with a shriek of laughter from Gwen there was a flurry of splashing that didn't end until Gwen had lost her seat on the rock and slid into the water, frantically scrabbling for footing. Arthur immediately plunged forward to pull her up, his face awash with genuine concern. Gwen clutched him wildly, her dress tangling around her legs and pulling her down. The situation wasn't resolved until she literally wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck and stopped moving. Arthur pulled an arm firmly around Gwen's waist by this point, trying to steady her.
"Maybe I was wrong," Arthur said, trying to blink the water from his eyes,"that was fairly impulsive."
Gwen made a face, "I fell in. There's nothing impulsive about that."
Managing to detangle the dress from her legs, they both suddenly realized how close they were. Gwen was deeply aware that she was in a river clinging to a future king. Arthur's face had gone serious too and if Gwen had been in a situation to notice would have noted his face was slightly flushed itself. Arthur reached up and pushed the wet tendrils of hair off Gwen's face.
"I'm sorry about that," Arthur breathed.
Gwen couldn't think of anything coherent to say and couldn't make herself let go of him. Arthur was the one to break the moment, slowly moving towards a rock. If given the option he would have chosen standing in river with Gwen firmly wrapped around him. He lifted her up onto the rock, then hauled himself out of the chest deep water. Arthur tried not to notice how Gwen's dress clung to the curves of her body.
"I really should get back," Gwen said, staggering to her feet, the wet dress still causing problems.
Arthur reached up and grabbed her wrist, gently tugging to pull er back down next to him. It was the first time he had ever deliberately touched her and Gwen was thrown into a whole new level of embarassment and confusion. She hung awkwardly between pulling away and sitting back down.
"Wait until you're dry, at least."
There was a shade of a command in Arthur's statement. Part of Gwen rebelled at that. He might be royalty, but he had little right to order her around in something like this.
"I think I'd better not," she said, starting to pull away.
"Gwen," Arthur said, his tone now slightly wheedling, "please? Just sit with me for a while."
Gwen paused, torn between a desire to flee the situation or stay with Arthur.
"Guinevere," he said with raised eyebrows and a long suffering look.
Gwen finally plunked down next to him again, pulling her knees to her chin. Arthur broke the silence after a moment.
"Still insisting I imagined all the 'man inside' business when I was sick?" he said, picking up a pebble and deftly skimming it across the water.
"Yes, sire. Your fever was quite high," Gwen said rather primly. Arthur rolled his eyes and made a face.
"You're rather subtly difficult, do you know that," he said.
Gwen fought to keep a smile off of her face.
"Only with you, sire."
Arthur skimmed another rock, "I wonder why that is?"
"Perhaps you bring it out in people, my lord."
Arthur threw his head back and laughed.
"So it's me and not a vast conspiracy of people around me? I was starting to wonder."
"I think you inspire people to think for themselves in some way," Gwen said seriously, "and they're not afraid to tell you what they come up with. Maybe because you take them seriously. Or at least you're growing to try to."
Arthur looked a Gwen thoughtfully.
"I was always led to believe a king instinctively knows what's right and wrong."
"No," Gwen said quickly, "a king finds out what's right and wrong. A good one anyway."
"You think I'll be a good one," Arthur asked, half joking.
"I have hope," Gwen said. She had a momentary flash of panic realizing how frank she'd just been. Arthur simply watched her. A soft smile slowly crept over his face.
"You are surprisingly forthright sometimes, Gwen. I think I like that about you."
"You don't always in Merlin or Morgana."
"Method of delivery, maybe," Arthur said with a grin.
"They mean well."
Arthur noticed the "sire" tag was long gone. Gwen didn't even seem to notice. He preferred it that way. He realized just how little he got to openly talk with anyone his age.
"I think you'd make a rather good king yourself," he said, running a hand through his rapidly drying hair, "you've got the sense for it."
"I wouldn't want to," Gwen said without thinking, "it seems lonely."
She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror at what she'd just said.
"It is," Arthur said suddenly, surprising her.
He looked so much like a lost little boy in that moment that Gwen instinctively put her hand over his. He quickly grasped her fingers and smiled.
"Well, maybe not so much at the moment," he said.
Gwen was saved any further embarrassment by Arthur getting up and pulling her to her feet.
"If I ever get feeling too lonely," he said, "I hope I can come talk to you."
Gwen busied herself straightening her damp dress.
"I think I might be able to make some time," she said with a shy smile.
"I think we should go swimming more often," he said jovially as they walked to where his boots and shirt were. Gwen smiled and said nothing. She wasn't quite impulsive enough to admit that she thought that might be nice.
Title: Swimming
Author: crumpeteer
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Gwen
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except two cats. I do own two cats.
Summary: Arthur accidentally runs into Gwen while swimming with some surprising results.
It was hot that particular summer. Training was miserable because of the heat, even for Arthur who truly did enjoy sparring. There was a certain thrill to doing something you were good at and knowing your body would instinctively react accordingly. After today's training though, all Arthur wanted to do was find the coolest place possible and never move again. He'd been more irritable with Merlin than normal and had finally sent him packing. The only thing Arthur could focus on was going to the nearby river. At least his clothes would be wet with cold water there rather than sweat. The secluded area of the river Arthur favored was particularly nice since it was shady, with giant rocks that were perfect for drying off later. If truth be told, Arthur liked being alone out there. Most people swam in one of the areas that had gravelly beaches when they turned the children loose and tried to cool down from the heat, but Arthur preferred the isolation.
After shucking off his boots and shirt, Arthur plunged into the blissfully cold water. One of the larger rocks a little ways down the river looked especially appealing. Remembering a rather nice pool on the other side of it, he ducked under water and swam upsteam, resurfacing only to find himself staring at a thoroughly startled Gwen sitting on the other side of his chosen rock, her feet dangling in the water.
"My lord," she said, her mouth gaping a little.
Arthur laughed out loud at her shocked expression, moving a little closer to get footing. Ever since his near death incident he'd started developing some interest in the shy lady's maid who had proven herself to be surprisingly plucky. Arthur shoved back the blond hair that had gotten plastered to his face.
"Seems we had the same idea," he said to Gwen, who looked thoroughly embarrassed and ready to bolt.
For her part, Gwen had been taking a moment to cool her feet in the river while out looking for berries. It had never crossed her mind that she might be faced with a soaking wet, very shirtless crown prince. A crown prince who didn't seem to notice her discomfort.
"You know, it works better when you're the whole way in the water," Arthur said.
Gwen gulped. Even with his hair favoring that of a drowned rat, a half naked, glistening wet Arthur was fairly impressive. Gwen felt the color rising to her face and she fought the urge to alternately stare and not look at him.
"I don't swim very well," she admitted.
Arthur ran a hand through his wet hair again.
"Your loss then," he said with a shrug, "though I doubt you'd ever be impulsive enough to go out swimming in the middle of nowhere anyway."
"What?" Gwen said, startled and vaguely offended.
"You don't seem the type to go plunging off into rivers is all I meant," he said non-chalantly.
"I'll have you know I'm very impulsive," Gwen said heatedly, her chin rising a fraction. A smug grin was tugging at the corners of Arthur's mouth.
"Made potatoes instead of corn one day? Used the blue sheets instead of the white? Heaven forbid, had dessert before dinner?" he said wickedly.
Gwen scowled and aimed a spray of water at Arthur's head with her foot. Before she could react in horror to what she'd just done, she was hit by a wall of water courtesy of Arthur. There was a momentary pause as the two combatants sized each other up, then with a shriek of laughter from Gwen there was a flurry of splashing that didn't end until Gwen had lost her seat on the rock and slid into the water, frantically scrabbling for footing. Arthur immediately plunged forward to pull her up, his face awash with genuine concern. Gwen clutched him wildly, her dress tangling around her legs and pulling her down. The situation wasn't resolved until she literally wrapped her arms around Arthur's neck and stopped moving. Arthur pulled an arm firmly around Gwen's waist by this point, trying to steady her.
"Maybe I was wrong," Arthur said, trying to blink the water from his eyes,"that was fairly impulsive."
Gwen made a face, "I fell in. There's nothing impulsive about that."
Managing to detangle the dress from her legs, they both suddenly realized how close they were. Gwen was deeply aware that she was in a river clinging to a future king. Arthur's face had gone serious too and if Gwen had been in a situation to notice would have noted his face was slightly flushed itself. Arthur reached up and pushed the wet tendrils of hair off Gwen's face.
"I'm sorry about that," Arthur breathed.
Gwen couldn't think of anything coherent to say and couldn't make herself let go of him. Arthur was the one to break the moment, slowly moving towards a rock. If given the option he would have chosen standing in river with Gwen firmly wrapped around him. He lifted her up onto the rock, then hauled himself out of the chest deep water. Arthur tried not to notice how Gwen's dress clung to the curves of her body.
"I really should get back," Gwen said, staggering to her feet, the wet dress still causing problems.
Arthur reached up and grabbed her wrist, gently tugging to pull er back down next to him. It was the first time he had ever deliberately touched her and Gwen was thrown into a whole new level of embarassment and confusion. She hung awkwardly between pulling away and sitting back down.
"Wait until you're dry, at least."
There was a shade of a command in Arthur's statement. Part of Gwen rebelled at that. He might be royalty, but he had little right to order her around in something like this.
"I think I'd better not," she said, starting to pull away.
"Gwen," Arthur said, his tone now slightly wheedling, "please? Just sit with me for a while."
Gwen paused, torn between a desire to flee the situation or stay with Arthur.
"Guinevere," he said with raised eyebrows and a long suffering look.
Gwen finally plunked down next to him again, pulling her knees to her chin. Arthur broke the silence after a moment.
"Still insisting I imagined all the 'man inside' business when I was sick?" he said, picking up a pebble and deftly skimming it across the water.
"Yes, sire. Your fever was quite high," Gwen said rather primly. Arthur rolled his eyes and made a face.
"You're rather subtly difficult, do you know that," he said.
Gwen fought to keep a smile off of her face.
"Only with you, sire."
Arthur skimmed another rock, "I wonder why that is?"
"Perhaps you bring it out in people, my lord."
Arthur threw his head back and laughed.
"So it's me and not a vast conspiracy of people around me? I was starting to wonder."
"I think you inspire people to think for themselves in some way," Gwen said seriously, "and they're not afraid to tell you what they come up with. Maybe because you take them seriously. Or at least you're growing to try to."
Arthur looked a Gwen thoughtfully.
"I was always led to believe a king instinctively knows what's right and wrong."
"No," Gwen said quickly, "a king finds out what's right and wrong. A good one anyway."
"You think I'll be a good one," Arthur asked, half joking.
"I have hope," Gwen said. She had a momentary flash of panic realizing how frank she'd just been. Arthur simply watched her. A soft smile slowly crept over his face.
"You are surprisingly forthright sometimes, Gwen. I think I like that about you."
"You don't always in Merlin or Morgana."
"Method of delivery, maybe," Arthur said with a grin.
"They mean well."
Arthur noticed the "sire" tag was long gone. Gwen didn't even seem to notice. He preferred it that way. He realized just how little he got to openly talk with anyone his age.
"I think you'd make a rather good king yourself," he said, running a hand through his rapidly drying hair, "you've got the sense for it."
"I wouldn't want to," Gwen said without thinking, "it seems lonely."
She clapped a hand over her mouth in horror at what she'd just said.
"It is," Arthur said suddenly, surprising her.
He looked so much like a lost little boy in that moment that Gwen instinctively put her hand over his. He quickly grasped her fingers and smiled.
"Well, maybe not so much at the moment," he said.
Gwen was saved any further embarrassment by Arthur getting up and pulling her to her feet.
"If I ever get feeling too lonely," he said, "I hope I can come talk to you."
Gwen busied herself straightening her damp dress.
"I think I might be able to make some time," she said with a shy smile.
"I think we should go swimming more often," he said jovially as they walked to where his boots and shirt were. Gwen smiled and said nothing. She wasn't quite impulsive enough to admit that she thought that might be nice.